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Thursday, February 21, 2013

Being Happy First

"Matthew Reilly Meets Stephen King
- Kindred should be offered to aspiring authors as a prime example of
'how to write a thriller'. It introduces intriguing characters, sets up
a compelling story, and then takes the reader on a roller coaster ride
of thrills and chills. It's a kick-ass suspense experience that will
leave you breathless and wanting more. Employing effective prose and
lots of cliffhangers, this fast paced novel will keep you reading until
the very last word has been absorbed. Something that fascinated me
about this book is that most of the action occurs in just one location,
a place that the characters can't escape without fighting for their
lives. Along the way they are confronted by shocking secrets from their
past. This story grabs and won't let go." Chris Ryall, Amazon Reader Review

"Two days and 354 pages later I'm splayed out with chocolate
stains on my face. I am sated." Roger Kenyon, Amazon reader review.

"This is a very good read - be prepared to be totally
taken in to this world of scary horror. Loved it!"Wendy Williams, Amazon reader review.

The premiere showing of FIRST CUT is this weekend - during a party shoot at our house.

It's now entered into the Brooklyn Film Festival - so its New York premiere should happen sometime this year!

I'll be putting out a 30 second trailer for it
soon.

Keep watching and writing!

THIS WEEK'S
ARTICLE:

Being Happy First

There are two types of people out there.

Those who can get everything they need - and those who need everything they can get.

Which are you?

At first
glance you might think that it's the rich - the minority - that get all
the things they want, because they have the money to buy it all.

Similarly, you'd probably think that it's the monetarily challenged - the rest of us - that need everything that comes our way.

There's a lot of problems in the world caused by this dichotomy.

There's a
perception that there are scarce resources. As a result, people feel
justified taking everything they can get - especially for nothing. It
makes us feel better to 'get stuff' whether we pay for it or not.

And having to give it back - especially when we didn't pay for it - seems anathema to most people's sensibilities.

You see it on Judge Judy.

People are
given cars on loan or lent money by a wealthier relative or friend -
and then immediately take the attitude that the car or the money
is theirs - and they don't really need to give back the wheels or
repay the cash.

I think this
attitude stems from a basic human need - something almost primitive,
like a caveman collecting animal bones - that equates 'stuff' with self
esteem.

We feel bigger when we have more. Whether that's more money, more technology, more cars, more houses, whatever.

It's an
illusion of course but the reason why it's so effective is that it not
only makes us feel better, it impresses those around us too.

You see this played out in life.

We're convinced that the guy with the big house and flash car and all that money is someone we should aspire to emulate.

And despite what we might think of the rich guy's morals or ethics, we still want that for ourselves.
Even when we find out that the rich guy's house and car and lifestyle
are a result of massive debt he's working his ass off to pay back!

You've got to work out what you really want.

Freedom? Creativity? Independence?

Or to be a slave to money or to the system?

If you're an
artist or a writer or a filmmaker - and you're reading these
newsletters of mine - you're probably not rich. Not yet, anyway.
(Although I do have - mentioning no names - some very famous
subscribers on my list!)

But the thing is, being able to get everything you want is not the same as having everything you need.

Spike
Milligan - a clinical manic depressive - once said money doesn't buy
happiness - just a more comfortable version of misery.

It's a cliche of course - money can't buy you happiness.

The real trick is to be happy first.

You might not get everything you want. But as Mick Jagger put it, you'll probably get what you need.

And though we poor folk often don't want to hear it - true happiness is about wanting fewer things.

Once you have the bits and pieces that facilitate your creativity, what else do you really need?

Phil Collins
once said that famous people invariably make far too much money. More
money than is justifiable or even sane. And that brings with it huge
responsibilities - and massive problems of its own.

Personally,
I'd prefer to have just enough to do what what I want whenever I want
to do it - and that's being wealthy in my view.

If I wanted
to run a huge multinational corporation I know I could do that. But I
don't want to. I'd rather be happy and be able to produce books, films
and music projects to my heart's content.

I mean, why
would I want to spend every day in boardrooms, arguing over marketing
strategies, product placement and demographic targeting? Or
sitting through long business lunches getting fat and alcohol
dependent. Sounds like hell to me.

Fact is, if you're truly creative, or aspire to be, you've already got everything you need inside to be happy.

Then, you're already rich because you have access to everything you need!

"At
the beginning of any writing project is the agonizing period in which
nebulous ideas dance before the mind's eye like memories of a dream,
and vaporous vague shapes take on human form and begin to answer to
their names." James Cameron